Curvilinear elastic fabric



July 15, 1930. I .1. v. MOORE 1,770,740

CURVILINEAR ELASTIC FABRIC Filed Sept 21, 1928 21 1 w 24 W Z4 22 A J6 1515 IN 12 10 J0 12 J) 11% @121 32 L11 .1! L 1L 1 A 1mm? Patented July 15,1930 'UNITED" STATES PATENT. OFF CE worm v. MOORE, or rAwrUcKrrr, RHODEISLAND, AssIeNoR' To MOORE FABRIC coM- 'IANY, or PAWTUGKET;

RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION. OF-RHODE ISLAND CU-RVILINEAR ELASTIC FABRICApplication filed September 21, 1928. Serial No. 307,424.

on relates to the production of This inventi 1 a narrow elastic fabrichaving an inherent fabric may be produced;

curvilinear shape, such a fabric being of great utility for manypurposes. T It is the object of my invention to provide an elasticfabric of relatively narrow width in which the curvilinear form isdeveloped-in the "weaving operation and is preserved throughout thefinishing operation. A further object is to provide-a curvilinearelastic fabric in which the fabric is of substantially uniform Weightand thickness in each unit area thereof. I r have also provided animproved method of producing such a curvilinear elastic fabric, theseveral features of which will be hereinafter described My inventionfurther relates 'to arrangements and combinations of.parts which will behereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims. A preferred form of the invention, and mechanism adapted to theproduction thereof, are shown in the drawings in which a Fig. 1 is aperspective view of parts of. a narrow Ware loom on which my improvedFig. 2 1s a front View warp beams;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the fabric;

' Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic sectional. view,

of one of the tapered taken along the line H in Fig. '3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailsectional view ofa portion of the fabric;and.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan ,view, illustrating the distribution ofthe warp and weft threads.

Referring'to the drawings, my improvedv curvilinear fabric is preferablyformed of a plurality of elastic warp threads 10, nonelastic warpthreads 11, and non-elastic fill-.

ing threads 12. The elastic warp threads 10 may be either plain rubberthreads or may be covered rubber threads, depending upon the type offabric tobe produced.

The filling threads 12 extend from selvage to selvage of the fabric andassume a more or less fan-like relation, as they are necesfabric, thusproviding form amount of combined warp and weftof the fabric, the innumber as thethe warp beam sarily more widely spaced on'the longer orouter curved edge of the fabric tinuously longitudinally of the fabricand as indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and The principal objectp f graduallyincreasing the numberof warp threads in this manner is to compensate forthe separation of the Weft threads toward a substantially unithreads ineach unit area warp threads increasing weft threads are more widelyspaced.

While the warp threads 10 preferably vary in spacing as above described,they are preferably of uniform size or diameter from edge 2 edge of thefabric, as clearly shown in My improved fabric great variety of weaves,thereof is illustrated in elastic warp 10 and a may be made in a but apreferred form Fig. 5, in which an pair of non-elastic the outer edge ofthe he warp threads 10 and 11 extend coni warps 11 are inserted betweenadjacent dents 15 of'the reed 16 (Fig. 1), while the next adacent reedspaces are preferably left empty.

The effect of this arrangement is to crowd the non-elastic warps 11closely against the elastic warp 10, thusholding the elastic warp firmlyin a tube-like pocket, so that the fabric may be cut into sectionswithout undue shrinkage of the elastic warps after cutting.

With the construction shown, it is found that the lateral expansion ofthe elastic warp when released by cutting causes it to tightly fill thenarrow pocket or tube between the adjacent non-elastic warps, so that itis immediately held from further shrinkage.

In the production of a curvilinear elastic fabric, it is essential thatthe warp threads be under substantially uniform tension throughout thewidth of the fabric. In order to :attain this result, I provide atapered warp beam 20 (Fig. 1) for the elastic warps 10 and a similarlytapered warp beam 21 for the non-elastic warps 11. The taper of barrelsis selected to give the increased length of Warp required for thethroughout ing the weaving process.

longer edge of the fabric without increasing the tension thereon. Thewarps 10 and 11 are drawn along guide-rolls 22 (Fig. 1) and are threadedthrough two or more harnesses 24 and through the reed 16 previouslydescribed, the reed being mounted upon a lay 25.

The woven fabric passes around a tapered guide-roll 26 on the breastbeam and around a tapered take-up roll 30, against which the fabric isheld by a loose guide-roll 31. The fabric is then wound on a taperedcloth roll It will be seen that the curvilinear shape of he fabric isproduced naturally by varying the length of the warp threads from edgeto edge of the fabric, and that these warp threads are at all times heldunder substantially uniform tension. The provision of the separate warpbeams 20 and 21 permits me to increase. or decrease the tension on theelastic warp threads-10 asdesired, independent of the tension on thenon-elastic warp.

threads 11. It will be understood that the warp threads 10 are stretchedsubstantially to their fullest extent during the weaving" operation, sothat the fabric may be rendered highly elastic by thesubsequentshrinkage thereof.

It is essential that the curvilinear shape of the fabric be preservedthroughout tlie'sizing and finishing of the fabric and special mechanismhas been provided for sizing and drying the fabric without disturbing ordistorting its inherent curvilinear'shape. The details of thismechanism, however, form no part of the present invention and are notclaimed herein.

Having described the construction and method-of.production of myimproved fabric, it will be seen that the fabric is produced in aninherent curvilinear shape, with the warp threads .under substantiallyuniform tension the width of the fabric. The curvilinearshape of thefabric does not depend on distortion of the fabric after weaving but isthe inherent shape assumed durduced will naturally preserve its originalcurvilinear shape much better than a fabric in which the curve isproduced by distortion or manipulation after the fabric is woven.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:- 1. A woven fabric whichis elastic longitudinally and substantially non-elastic transversely andwhich includes a plurality of rubber warp threads, said fabric beininherently curvilinear to a predetermine radius, and the rubber warpthreads thereof being of substantially uniform diameter and being wovenunder substantially uniform tensionthroughout the width of the fabric.

A fabric thus pro- A woven fabric which is elastic longitudinally andsubstantially non-elastic transversely, said fabric including rubber andnon-elastic warp threads and being inherently curvilinear to apredetermined radius and the fabric being of substantiallyuniform'weight and thickness per unit area from s'elvage to selvagethereof.

3. A woven fabric which is elastic longitudinally and substantiallynon-elastic transversely and which includes rubber and nonlastic warpthreads, said fabric being inherently curvilinear to a predeterminedradius and inherently elastic and having said ruboer warp threads boundfirmly between said non-elastic warp threads, all of said warp threadsincreasing uniformly in length from selvage to'selvage of said' fabricand being under substantially uniform tension in the finished fabric. YI

4. A Woven fabric which iselastic, longitudinally and substantiallynon-elastic transversely, andwhich includes rubber and nonelastic warpthreads, said fabric being inherently-curvilinear and having pairsofnonelastic warps closely adjacent each rubberwarp withsa-id latter warptherebetween,

firmly between said-non-elastic warp threads, the groups of warp threadseach comprising a pair of non-elastic warps and a rubber warp" beingsubstantially sp'acedfromeach other. a curvilinear 5. The method ofweaving elastic fabric which consists in supplying a plurality of bothrubber and non-elastic warps, each kind of warp being distributedthroughoutthe width of the fabric, in providing' all of the rubber warpsof substantially uniform diameter, in placing all of the rubber warpsunder a substantially uniform tension at the point of weaving, and inweaving said warp threads into an inherently curvilinear elastic fabricwhile said rubber warp threads are thus held under substantially uniformtension.

'6.'The method of weaving a curvilinear elastic fabric which consists insupplying a plurality of both rubber and non-elastic warps, each kind ofwarp being distributed throughout the width of the fabric, in providingall of the rubber warps of substantially uniform diameter, in placingallof.

the rubber warps under a substantially uniform tension at the point ofweaving, and

" ering said warps to the weaving point at rates of feed varying.uhiformly from edge to edge of the fabric whereby an lnherentcurvilinear set is produced in said elastic fabric.

8. The method of weaving a curvilinear elastic fabric which consists insupplying a plurality of both rubber and non-elastic warps, each kind ofwarp being distributed vthroughout the width of the fabric, in insertinga rubber war and a pair of non-elastic warps between adJa-cent dents ofa reed while leavmg the next ad'acent reed spaces empty,

thereby to crowd t e two non-elastic warps closely against the singlerubber warp to hold said rubber warp firmly, in placing'all of therubber warps under a substantially uniform tension, and in deliveringall of said warps to the weaving point at rates of feed varyinguniformly from edge to edge of the fabric whereby an inherentcurvilinear set is produced in said elastic fabric.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature. JOHN V.MOORE.

rmly, in

